LAMORINDA WEEKLY | Andy Warhol Exhibit at SMC Museum of Art


Andy Warhol, Fiesta Pig, 1979, Screenprint on Arches 88 paper, 21 1/2 x 30 1/2 inches Collection of the Saint Mary's College Museum of Art, Gift of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.

The face of Marilyn Monroe. A can of Campbell's soup. A single image reproduced in negative, utilizing striking strokes and colors. These are but a few of the iconic signs of Andy Warhol, a leading figure in the pop art movement whose work is as singular as it is widespread. A renowned and often controversial artist, Warhol worked with multiple media including drawing, painting, photography and printmaking, leaving behind an extensive and highly prized collection of work.

Some of those pieces have made their way to the permanent collection of Saint Mary's College, and from April 19 to June 14 the curators of the Saint Mary's College Museum of Art will be showing "Andy Warhol: Prints, Polaroids and Pop," a selection of Warhol's work gifted from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Inc.

When Warhol unexpectedly died in 1987, much of his work was left for the creation of a foundation that would advance the visual arts.

"(The foundation) is basically in charge of Andy Warhol's estate," said Kyla Porter Tynes, gallery manager at SMC. "Anything that's Andy Warhol that's in public domain." Taking charge of these items includes caring for them, preserving them, loaning them out and making them accessible to the public.

In an effort to preserve and enhance Warhol's creative legacy, the foundation developed a grant-making program that would allow for deeper engagement, a wider reach and proper care of his work. One of the places this is happening is in the Hearst Gallery at SMC.

In 2008, the Hearst Gallery received its first gift from the Andy Warhol Foundation, 152 black and white photographs and Polaroid prints (taken from the Andy Warhol Photographic Legacy Program). Dated between 1976 and 1986, the photographs include Central Park views, bridges, catwalks, nude figures, and images of Dolly Parton, Gianni Versace, R.C. Gorman, Antonio Lopez, Denise Hale, Yves Saint Laurent, Ron Reagan, Jr., Steve Rubell, Kenneth Jay Lane, other celebrities and fashionistas. The pieces were last shown at SMC in 2010.

The upcoming exhibit celebrates a second gift made possible through the foundation's grant-making program - seven screenprints made between 1985-1986, including Sitting Bull from the Cowboys and Indians series, the much-loved Fiesta Pig, Hans Christian Andersen, from Warhol's favorite writers series, and an accompanying illustration for an Andersen fairy tale.

"A lot of times screenprints are less valuable, but for Warhol his prints are just as valuable as his original works of art because he was so prolific," said Tynes.

None of the prints are numbered, which is unique of Warhol's work and indicates these were likely first prints in which the artist was able to experiment with various media and colors. One is a countercultural portrait of a transvestite, another a signed original work of art.

"This is part of Andy Warhol's first dabbling in color," said Tynes. "So these are really important works for him."

Along with the seven screenprints, the SMCMoA will also showcase 15-20 pieces from the first foundation gift. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (It is closed between exhibits, March 22-April 18). Admission is $5 for adults (with concessions for veterans, youth, staff and students) and open to everyone.

"What's so great for us," said Tynes, "is the fact that the Warhol Foundation has given these to us, but that we're able to share them with the public." Warhol was adamant about the proliferation of the artistic spirit, something that can reach each of us. "The community is really the most important thing."